Review: Flame in the Mist by Renee Ahdieh

Flame in the Mist by Renee Ahdieh
Publisher: Penguin Young Readers Group
Series: Flame in the Mist, #1
Publication date: 05/16/2017

The only daughter of a prominent samurai, Mariko has always known she’d been raised for one purpose and one purpose only: to marry. Never mind her cunning, which rivals that of her twin brother, Kenshin, or her skills as an accomplished alchemist. Since Mariko was not born a boy, her fate was sealed the moment she drew her first breath.

So, at just seventeen years old, Mariko is sent to the imperial palace to meet her betrothed, a man she did not choose, for the very first time. But the journey is cut short when Mariko’s convoy is viciously attacked by the Black Clan, a dangerous group of bandits who’ve been hired to kill Mariko before she reaches the palace.

The lone survivor, Mariko narrowly escapes to the woods, where she plots her revenge. Dressed as a peasant boy, she sets out to infiltrate the Black Clan and hunt down those responsible for the target on her back. Once she’s within their ranks, though, Mariko finds for the first time she’s appreciated for her intellect and abilities. She even finds herself falling in love—a love that will force her to question everything she’s ever known about her family, her purpose, and her deepest desires.

Flame in the Mist was one of my most anticipated reads of this year and I'm so thrilled that it lived up to my expectations. It's one of those books that grabs hold right from the start and never lets up. I enjoyed reading about Mariko's journey at times treacherous as she tried to navigate in the unknown to find answers behind the plot of her death.

I'm glad that this book provided insight with some of the main characters as I like Mariko wasn't sure who to trust. I'm a fan of the world that Renee Ahdieh created. Richly imagined and beautifully written, I couldn't get enough of this book.

I can say without a doubt that I can't wait to see where this series leads. I couldn't have imagined how the events in this story unfolded but I'm so excited to see where they lead. The plot thickens! The ending was something that caught me completely by surprise.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Stars

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Review: The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh

The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh
Publisher: Penguin Young Readers Group
Publication date: 05/12/2015
Series: The Wrath and the Dawn, #1
Age range: 12 - 17 Years
Source: Bought

A sumptuous and epically told love story inspired by A Thousand and One Nights

Every dawn brings horror to a different family in a land ruled by a killer. Khalid, the eighteen-year-old Caliph of Khorasan, takes a new bride each night only to have her executed at sunrise. So it is a suspicious surprise when sixteen-year-old Shahrzad volunteers to marry Khalid. But she does so with a clever plan to stay alive and exact revenge on the Caliph for the murder of her best friend and countless other girls. Shazi's wit and will, indeed, get her through to the dawn that no others have seen, but with a catch . . . she’s falling in love with the very boy who killed her dearest friend.

She discovers that the murderous boy-king is not all that he seems and neither are the deaths of so many girls. Shazi is determined to uncover the reason for the murders and to break the cycle once and for all.

This book was an unsuspected surprise. Anytime I read a book by an author that I’ve never read before, I have to get a feel for the writing style and the voice. I will say that it took me a chapter or two to really get into the story but once I got the hang of it, I did not let go. I fell in love with the imagery which was magical in itself.  I could see the world that Renee created perfectly. It was so mesmerizing and I enjoyed every detail.

I can’t say enough about the characters – they embody what I love in fantasy. Kazi is fierce and I loved that she could hold her own. I fell in love with Khalid through Kazi - these two are perfect for each other.  You know what I can’t wait for? I can’t wait to see what happens with the other characters in this book like Tariq – he’s intriguing and a force within his own right.

I love when books in this genre have kick-ass action and I feel like I got a small taste and it left me wanting more.  I‘m hopeful that there will be more sword-wielding action in the next book. I’m just ready for a major showdown to see whose left standing when the dust settles.    

Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars

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